The Valorization of Surveillance: Towards a Political Economy of ...

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• Publié par: alurenum
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• Langue: Français

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The Valorization of Surveillance: Towards a Political Economy of Facebook   Nicole S. Cohen    

Much excitement surrounds Facebook, the social networking site based on user-generated content that has attracted 64 million active users since its inception in 2004. This paper begins to out- line a political economy of Facebook in an attempt to draw atten- tion to the underlying economic relations that structure the web- site, and the way in which the site fits into larger patterns of con- temporary capitalist development. Although Web 2.0 has pre- sented a shift away from “old” top-down media models, there remains continuity through change: Facebook continues familiar models of extensive commodification, with surveillance playing a key role in this process. The emerging reliance on general intel- lect and free labour for the purpose of capital accumulation does represent a move away from a more passive conception of the audience commodity, yet it demonstrates the continuous march of capitalism into cyberspace under post-Fordist conditions.   networking and the future of e-capi D e s y t p o a e l u n k th d e   i rs p n   o g o   s r t o     s t n o   ur o w v   h e m i o l u l m c a   h n   y c i o n e  u f b   o a r y  s m e k a , m   ti p F o l a n o c   y e a e b b r o o s t , o u a   t l k p   i   t s a i h r s m e   e , n e   m t i o s t s r , h e     l e a a v r   n   e d p a s   l   , t   a r h r c e i e e v s     k o C i l w I n u h t A g i e   . o r 1 e   e n x   A   p i e   n o p x   s c o s u i l t i o r t a e i c   b c i t l a a o e l l           economy analysis of the social networking site reveals more complex dynamics at play than those expressed in the business press or in mainstream medias moral fright; dynamics that reflect broader trends in the development of the digital econ- omy. Facebook is organized around linked personal profiles based on geographic, educational, or corporate networks. Member profiles can reveal a range of personal information, including favourite books, films, and music; e-mail and street ad- dresses; phone numbers; education and employment histories; relationship status (including a link to the profile of the person with whom one is involved); political views; and religion. Once logged in, members spend timeaccording to Facebook, on average, 20 minutes a daylinking to friends profiles, uploading and tagging (or labeling) friends in photos, creating and joining groups, posting events, website links, and videos, sending messages, and writing public notes for